Will I be able to make phone calls using my watch?

The touch screen interface is just one of the watch phone's many features that impressed onlookers at LG's CES 2009 booth. The watch is also 3G compatible. That means the watch phone utilizes the third generation of wireless communication technology. It puts the watch phone on the same playing ground as several popular models of smartphones.

LG Electronics claims that the watch is the first 3G phone to attain the speed of 7.2 megabytes per second (MBps) for High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) [source: LG Electronics]. HSDPA is a 3G data transmission protocol that allows wireless phones to download data at faster rates than older protocols. But few countries have built an HSDPA infrastructure to support this feature.

The data transmission capabilities elevate the LG-GD910 into the smartphone category. The watch can display streaming video. It even has a miniature video camera -- you can hold a video conference on your wrist! It also has an MP3 player. According to CNET, the watch at CES had a 70 megabyte storage capacity.

The phone also has voice-recognition software that lets you voice dial contacts stored in your watch phone. It also has a voice-to-text feature that will transcribe your thoughts for you. People might think you look a little odd as you dictate messages into your wrist, but you know they're just jealous.

­As of right now, LG doesn't have plans to bring the watch phone to the United States. But according to the LG Electronics Web site, the watch will hit the market in Europe. Unlike its prototype predecessor, we may get the chance to see these watches worn in the wild. Brush up on your spy lingo and start shopping for a tuxedo -- this watch brings out the clandestine operative in you.

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Talkin' 'Bout My Generation

While the United States lags behind other countries that have established a 3G infrastructure, devices like the Apple iPhone and the HTC-G1 have raised consumer awareness around the technology. The 3G networks provide more bandwidth for voice communication and data transfers. To the consumer, that means faster downloads and a better user experience in general.